WOW!! WHAT A FUN AFTERNOON!!

(From Sunday – spent all day uploading pictures so finally posting today!)

The party started at 4pm and ended around 7pm! As children began arriving we started decorating them!! HA! HA! They got to pick out what colors they wanted for their hair! Each child had a pumpkin painted on their face! If you were a girl – we had a special stencil we applied and covered you in glitter! All the kids got a necklace, glow-in-the-dark bracelet, and spooky ring!

After we finished we had everyone line up in a big circle! We played Hot Pumpkin! The music played and everyone passed the pumpkin around! If the music ended and you were holding the pumpkin -you were out. The last person standing got a prize!

After we played that – we split the 20 kids into two groups. One group played ring-toss with the witch’s hat while the other team played pin the tail on the cat! Then we switched Everyone won necklaces and spooky eye glasses!

Then that it was time for a snack! Yesterday we made chocolate suckers, cake suckers covered in chocolate & cup cakes! We bought Halloween fruit snacks, Halloween M&M’s, Boo-Berry Cereal, and Orange Oreo cookies while we were out at Catalyst. So after we played those games we had a 20 minute break where they got  to feast on all kinds of goodies while they watched a Halloween Tom & Jerry episode!

After that it was time for crafts! We divided them in two teams. While one group decorated pumpkins – the other group decorated masks! Then the teams switched! Every child had a gallon-size bag with their name on it. Everything they won, their treats, their crafts, etc – were all placed in their bag so they could take it home and show everyone.

Next we played our own version of the Cake Walk! The children all stood in a circle on numbers. When we called out the number they either got a $2 bill or a special prize!

Then it was time to break the piñata! We let the little kids collect candy first and then the big kids!

We ended the party with chicken, rice & beans, and plantain! They got to eat their food and watch 2 more episodes of Tom & Jerry! They got to take anything they didn’t eat home!

WHAT AN AMAZING NIGHT! Everyone was so grateful. They all said “thank you” as they left! The parents came a little early and got to watch their children fill their bellies! We even gave them some food too!

You know in Haiti it’s the little things that make a difference. Tonight 20 children forget for just a few moments how hard their lives are. They got to fill their bellies up! They got to take home snacks and food and gifts and prizes to their brothers and sisters! They laughed and smiled and fellowshipped with all of us who love them! For me – that is priceless!!